Theodore stared at the spot where Shuian had disappeared. Knowing how much he disliked strangers, he felt guilty for having to visit because he needed clothes.
Even though he wasn't a particularly sensitive person, when it came to Shuian, he couldn't help but worry about even the smallest things. It was even more so because he had nothing to give Shuian.
What did it matter if he slept in the largest, nicest room, used the finest bedding, and ate the best food? To someone who had lived roaming the vast sky, every place would feel small, and the most precious thing Shuian possessed, his freedom, had already been taken away by him. Remembering that he loved the sky the most, he knew that nothing he gave could ever replace it.
That's why he was anxious every day. What if he left to find what he loved most? Even then, Shuian was kind, so he would return sometimes, but he knew he couldn't be satisfied with that anymore.
It started with a simple question.
"Is it normal to hug and kiss so often here?"
At Shuian's innocent question, Theodore realized that his behavior was unusual.
"Because I'm an eagle? Then can Orca kiss me too?"
It was after feeling a fiery rage and jealousy at the next question that he realized he was being greedy. But for what? Theodore couldn't find the answer anywhere.
"Shuian seems to really like Your Highness. He doesn't even bother to answer me."
It was actually an expression of resentment and dissatisfaction, but with that one word from Orca, Theodore realized what he wanted.
Yes, what Shuian was giving him was 'affection.' All the things he had felt were sweet were ultimately affection. He had never received it before, so it was natural that he didn't know what it was.
Divine beasts were not inherently friendly to humans and were indifferent to their surroundings. Shuian's attention and affection were solely directed at him. He, who had lived his whole life taking from others, couldn't fail to recognize something precious, and Shuian's affection was the sweetest of all.
'I'm a very impudent and shameless human.' Not content with just this precious affection, he wanted more. He wanted to have everything Shuian gave him, and he wanted to know everything. Just a little more. That one phrase kept pushing him.
Could there be even more than this? It was already sweet enough to make his tongue tingle. The thought that there might be something more that he didn't know kept making him anxious and thirsty.
So, he wanted to have it all, whatever it was.
"Your Highness, are you... alright?"
Shuian had cured his long-standing, incurable suspicion and distrust in an instant, so how could he give up anything?
"Yes, it's delicious."
While Shuian finished altering the clothes and returned, Theodore neatly emptied the refreshments Anne had prepared. He couldn't have liked the cheap tea and cookies, but he wanted to see Shuian's happy face when he saw the empty plates. And when Shuian returned and gave him the innocent smile he had imagined, Theodore was able to eat something comfortably and smile for the first time.
"You ate it all?!"
"Yes, because you said it was okay."
At that moment, Shuian transformed into his bird form. Startled by the sudden change, Shuian flew towards Theodore with a few flaps of his wings and nestled in his arms.
"Screech-!"
Theodore lightly caught the large body and kissed Shuian's forehead, then glanced at Anne. She seemed to understand the situation easily and was trying not to look at them while keeping her head fixed on the floor, but even so, nothing would change. Her fate had been decided from the moment Theodore visited this place.
"Orca, pay them generously."
"Understood."
Theodore hugged Shuian and left the store, nodding to Orca. Orca watched the two get into the carriage and the door close through the window, then turned to Anne. Anne, who looked haggard as if she had been hit by a storm, looked at Orca, who was blocking the only entrance, with anxious eyes. Feeling her gaze, he smiled harmlessly to reassure her.
"Thank you for your hard work today."
"A, y-you're welcome...!"
"Your Highness and Shuian seemed very satisfied. However..."
"Yes?"
Orca fiddled with the scabbard he was wearing on his waist. 'What a pity.' Orca casually muttered to himself as he looked around the interior, which was almost new since the store had just opened.
"My master is so thorough that he doesn't leave even the smallest possibility. I'm also like that... so don't resent me too much."
"...Huh?"
Anne's eyes widened. The trajectory of the sword that was drawn and swung horizontally in an instant could not be followed by sight. She, who had been standing blankly, slowly closed her eyes at the paradox of seeing her body head-on.
Sending her off without pain was Orca's last courtesy and consideration. Because there was someone else who had to be given pain.
Orca sheathed his sword and checked his appearance in the reflection of the window to make sure he looked neat, then came out of the store. Shuian, who had already turned into a human, opened the window and peeked out.
"Orca."
"Yes, Shuian."
"Anne?"
'How innocent.' It wasn't that it was easier to threaten those who had nothing, but that it was easier to clean up after killing them, and he had chosen this place from the beginning to clean up neatly. And Shuian would never know that.
"Yes, we'll have to keep an eye on her for a while, but she won't go around blabbing."
"...Okay."
How much could a divine beast who didn't like humans understand the evil deeds of the human he cherished? Orca, suppressing a brief curiosity, got back into the driver's seat.
ꕥ
I tried hard not to think about what happened earlier, focusing my gaze on the scenery outside the window. I was so happy that Theo ate something without suspicion that I unknowingly transformed and turned into an eagle, so I was carried back to the carriage in his arms.
Even when I smelled a strong smell of blood from the store a little later, I thought something had happened, but I realized that wasn't the case when Orca came back looking fine.
Orca and Theo both seemed to be pretending not to know, but there was no way I, who had smelled Theo's blood far away in the forest, wouldn't notice the smell of blood right in front of me.
'I was naive.'
I had forgotten for a moment that Theo would choose to kill Anne and not leave any trouble behind rather than giving her a lot of money and silencing her. He was always my Theo, but he was also 'Theodore' in "The Blessing of Fire." I know they are the same person, but the gap between them makes me feel uneasy.
What's even harder to adjust to is my attitude. Even though I know Theo's actions are wrong, I somehow make excuses and rationalize them. If I put Anne's death and Theo on a scale, it tilts helplessly towards Theo. Do I really want to pretend to be a divine beast who doesn't like humans, or have I finally gone crazy from not even that long of loneliness?
"Shuian, do you not like the clothes?"
Theo, who had been quietly watching my face, which looked more subdued than before, asks carefully. I shook my head, but he didn't seem to believe me. Instead of asking more questions, he brings up a story that I would like.
"Later, when summer officially starts, there will be a festival called Ipha Festival (Beginning of Summer Festival). In the empire, where summer is the main season of the year, agriculture and tourism will flourish from then on. Economic activity will also become active. It's a festival held by commoners, so it's not very big, but it will still be fun. If Orca gets a magic potion that changes the color of your hair and eyes, would you like to go see it with me?"
"Festival? What do you do?"
"Well, I don't know because I've never been there either. If I go with you, this will be my first time."
First time. 'First time' is always a very pleasant phrase to hear. In the end, I completely got rid of even the last bit of guilt.
"I'll go."
"Okay, let's go together."
I leaned my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes. The smell of blood seems to be fading a little now.
ꕥ
After returning to the imperial palace, I immediately called the maids and organized the dressing room. A space for my clothes was created on one side of Theo's dressing room. I wondered how many times I would have the opportunity to wear those clothes while looking at the closet.
After finishing the cleaning and resting for a while, we had dinner in the dining room and headed to the study. Just like my place in Theo's dressing room, I also had a place in the study. Since I started studying the imperial language, Theo put a desk for me next to his desk as if it was a good thing. Then, he makes sure to study next to me. Sometimes, when I get bored and try to play on the perch or swing, he makes a sad face, so I can't help but study harder, so my skills are improving rapidly thanks to him
The task this time was writing a diary. I had learned the spelling and grammar to some extent, so now I was practicing writing while memorizing words to become completely familiar with them, and the easiest and most appropriate thing to do was writing a diary. At the age of twenty-six, I'm studying writing and even writing a diary, but what can I do since I'm an illiterate divine beast?
I opened the diary, which was studded with jewels and sparkling. It was a monumental day to write my first diary today, and there was a good topic to write about, so it was perfect.
Theo, I'll show you an eagle who writes better than humans. I picked up the pen with great enthusiasm, but I had to stop again. The pen that Theo bought was as sparkling and pretty as the diary, but the problem was that I had no idea how to use it.
Is this called a... quill? Do you dip it in ink? I had only memorized the vocabulary that Orca had made for me until now, so it felt very awkward to hold a pen for the first time. I glanced at Theo and tried to hold the quill like him. He holds it so well even with his big, long hands, so why can't I do it!
Snap-!
Oh, it broke.... I just held it a little too hard because I was angry, and the pen broke. The scene of the magic stones being crushed under my feet in the food warehouse overlaps. Did I cause another accident...?
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